Electrical branding tool



Feb. 13, 1951 E. A. DAvls ELECTRICAL BRANDING TOOL Filed Sept. l1, 1948 rPatented Feb. 13, 1951 2,541,214v ELECTRICALv BRANDING TOL Edward A. Davis, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The B. F, Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application September 11, 1948, Serial No. 48,867

l Y The invention relates to tools for marking bodies by a heating action, andl especially to electrical branding tools useful for marking articles of manufacture capable of being branded by heat, especially rubber products including pneumatic tires.

Heretofore, paints, inks and other marking materials have been employed for marking tire casings and other rubber products during their manufacture and inspection as for identification purposes. These marks or symbols often become abraded, distorted and illegible or even wholly obliterated under subsequent use and handling, thereby defeating the intended purpose.v Electrical heating tools such ascommercial soldering irons wherein the heat is conducted to the tip end of the heating rod from a resist-` ance heating source remote with respect to the tip, have also been found unsatisfactory for rubybermark'ing purposes; since adequate temperatures for' this purpose -are not obtainable at the tip end of the iron due to the indirect heating, conduction, radiation and other heat losses.

An object of the invention is to overcome the foregoing and other difficulties and disadvantages of the prior marking expedients and devices.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved electrical branding tool adapted especially for marking articles of rubber and other materials; to provide for maintaining temperatures at the marking face effective for branding purposes; to provide for minimizing heat losses; to provide for electrical resistanceheating action of the marking or heating member of the tool; to provide for separably attaching and supporting the heating member at an end of the tool; and to provide for simplicity and durability of construction, convenience of manufacture and servicing, and for effectiveness of operation.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate llike parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an electrical branding tool constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is atransverse sectional view of the tool taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a viewlike Fig. 2 but taken along line 3--3 0f Fig. 1, and

3` Claims. (Cl. 21B- 39) Fig. iis a view showing tool as viewed from the marking end thereof.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings includes in its construction a heating member I) desirably of generally U-shaped form separably attached to mounting portions II, I2 of support elements I3, I4 projecting axially beyond an end face l5 of an elongated hollow handle I6, which support elements may be disposed in transversely spacedapart bores I'I, I8 extending longitudinally or axially of the handle.

The heating member l0 is made of electrical resistance stiff material, preferably metal material such, for example, as a suitable nickelchromium alloy which may contain nickel, 15% chromium and 5% iron, and which may have a specific resistivity at 20 centigrade of 675 ohms per circular mil-foot. For the arrangement shown, this particular nickel-chromium alloy makes possible the provision of temperatures within the range of about 650 to about '750 Fahrenheit, which temperatures have been found effective for the intended purposes, especially-for the branding of pneumatic tire casings of natural or synthetic rubber 0r other rubber-like material. However, other nickel-chromium alloys and other electrical resistance stiff, hard materials oi' different compositions, proportions and specific resistivity characteristics may be utilized to provide the desired branding temperatures for the particular intended usage of the tool.

Desirably, the U-shaped heating member it is formed of strip material and comprises a pair of transversely spaced-apart terminal portions I9, 20 opposite one another and extending axially of the tool with their free ends adjacent the end face E5, which portions constitute the substantially parallel legs of the U-shape. An intermediate portion 2| consituting the base of the U- shape, extends directly between and interconnects the terminal portions at their other ends so that the outer face 22 provides a substantially flat surface in a transverse plane perpendicular to the terminal portions and the longitudinal axis of the tool.

As shown especially in Figs. 1 and 4, the in- -termediate portion 2| is desirably of reduced width and thickness as compared to that of the terminal portions I9, 2U, i. e., reduced crosssectional area facilitating the generation of high temperatures and the concentration of heat at the intermediate portion together with relatively low temperatures at the terminal portions upon the passage of electrical heating current to and through the heating member I0. The intermediate portion is so dimensioned as to resist objectionable distortion even under red heat conditions with temperatures exceeding those given hereinabove.

At the outer face 22, there is provided a mark formation 23 which may be one or more numbers, letters, medallion, seal, brand, label or other suitable fgure, character, symbol or mark. In the arrangement shown, the two numbers, 3 and 2, employed for` illustrative purposes only, are upraised with respect to the outer face 22, although, if desired, the marl: formation may be countersunk by stamping or engraving into the surface of the outer face. Preferably, the mark formation is integral with and in continuation of the material of the intermediate portion for facilitating electrical heat-generation and conduction, i. e., direct resistance heating action of all parts of the mark formation.

The relatively thick and wide te minal portions I9, 2 may each have spaced-apart apertures through which extend screw fasteners 2li, '24 engaging the threads of internally-threaded, tubular, headed nuts 25, 25 snugly fitting in corresponding spaced-apart apertures in the mounting portions I i, I 2, which fasteners and nuts may be of steel or other suitable current-conducting metal. The contacting surfaces of the terminal portions and the mounting portions are each desirably flat, as shown especially in Figs. l and 3, to assure good electrical conta-et thereof over a substantial arca and to facilitate the secure attachment of the heating member lil to the tool.

The support elements I3, Il; are desirably of lthe mounting portions i2 projecting beyond the end face i5 constitute support aioi'ding sufficient support to heating member Iii to retain the saine position under all conditions of use. T support elements are also oi such size that t. y will conduct the electrical heating current vithout objectionable resistance and heating.

The support elements being disposed in the bores il', i8, are maintained by the handle I6 in side-by-side electrically insulated relation to one another, the handle be. made desirably of wood, hard rubber, molded plastic or other suitable non--metallic, non-conductive material for this purpose. The supportv elements at their other ends opposite 'the mounting portions terminate in connector ttings 26, 21 separably attached to socket fittings 25 oi electrical conductor cords e0, 3i. The connector ttingg 2l may be flat end portions of the support ele-- ments apertures for receiving bolt and nut fasteners 32, 33. En 'the engaged condition, the connector ings 26, il the socket fittings EB, 29 are positioned in a hollow portion 34 of the handle it, which hollow portion 3c may be separably closed at its open end as by a ilegible closure disk of rubber material having spacedapart apertures for receiving the conductor cords 39, 3 I.

For retaining the support elements and the heating member in the desired relative position with respect to the handle, tubular spacers 35, 3l oi steel may be soldered or braced to the support elements adjacent the connector ttings 26,

`2l yand tubular spacers 38, 39 of steel may bev CII 4 disposed upon and in unattached relation to the support elements between the free ends of the heating member I 0 and the end face I5 of the handle, as shown especially in Fig. 1, which spacers 3B, 39, in addition to their positioning function, also transmit thrust from the heating member directly to the handle while relieving the support elements I3, I4 and their screw connections 24, 24 of such thrust.

The handle IB may be of suitable shape to flt the hand of the operator substantially as shown vin the drawings.

In the operation of the electrical branding tool as for branding rubber tires being inspected after ,vulcanization the tool is connected to a source of electrical heating current whereupon the current flows to and through the support elements and the heating member. The support elements I3, i4 oder minimum resistance to the oW of the current. The terminal portions I9, 2D also offer minimum resistance to the flow of the current and do not generate heat directly to any substantial extent. The intermediate portion 2! including the mark formation 23 offers maximum resistance to the ow of the current, whereby high temperatures within the aioresaid range are generated directly and continuously at the portion 2 I. This makes possible most efficient use of the heating current and the provision oi temperatures effective for the branding of the tires upon application of the heating member to the body of the tire` Substantially all of the heat produced by the heating member is thus utilized and applied directly for branding the article with minimum losses of heat by conduction and radiation at other parts of the tool including the terminal portions it, 20. Due to the high temperatures produced and maintained by the heating member, branding accomplished in a short interval of time and the branded mark remains clearly distinguishable even after extended subsequent usage and manipulation of the tire.

The construction of the tool also facilitates its use with little or no danger to the operator from burns and electrical shock hazards. Servicing of the tool and replacement of the heating member are also conveniently effected.

Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as it is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. An electrical branding tool comprising a tubular handle, a pair oi' adjacent support elements of electrically conductive material in spaced-apart side-by-side relation in said handle and projecting from an end thereof to provide eiongated mounting portions terminating at a position adjacent and spaced-apart from said end, registering means in said handle integral 'with said support elements at a position remote from said end for contacting an inner wall of the handle, a branding member of electrically resistant material in generally U-shape embracing said mounting portions, the base portion of said member extending between the free ends of said mounting portions and being substantially fat and relatively thin as compared to its width to provide a resistance heating portion and bearing branding indicia integral therewith, the leg portions of said member being relatively thick as compared to said base portion to provide attachlng portions of substantially increased conductivity in overlapping contacting relation to said mounting portions lengthwise of the same ang terminating short oi said end of the handle, iastener means separably securing said branding member to said mounting portions, and thrusttransmitting elements on said mounting portions between said end of the handle and the adjacent ends of said leg portions for transmitting thrust from said branding member directly to said handle while relieving said support elements of such thrust.

2. An electrical branding tool comprising a branding member of electrically resistant material in generally U-shape the base portion of which is relatively thin as compared to its width to provide a resistance heating portion and has branding indicia integral therewith, the leg portions of said member projecting from said base portion in spaced-apart relation and being relatively thick and Wide as compared to said base portion for relatively greater conductivity, conductors mounted on said leg portions in overlapping contacting relation therewith lengthwise thereof and projecting lengthwise therefrom, a tubular handle mounted on said conductors in telescopic slidable relation therewith and having an end disposed adjacent and spaced from said leg portions, and a pair of spaced-apart thrust-transmitting tubular elements on said conductors between said end of the handle and the adjacent ends of said leg portions for transmitting thrust directly between said branding member and said handle while relieving said conductors of such thrust.

3. An electrical branding tool comprising a branding member comprising a one-piece body of electrically resistant material in generally U- shape, the base portion of said body being substantially flat and relatively thin as compared to its width to provide a resistance heating portion and having branding indicia integral therewith, the leg portions of said body projecting from said base portion in spaced-apart relation o Number yan end disposed adjacent and spaced from said fend faces of the leg portions, and a pair of Aspaced-apart thrust-transmitting tubular elements on said conductors between and bearing directly against said end of the handle and said end faces of the leg portions for transmitting thrust directly between said branding member and said handle while relieving said conductors of such thrust.

EDWARD A. DAVIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Fitzmaurice Sept. 20, 1892 Washburn Nov. 4, 1902 Onstad Apr. 18, 1922 Flesch Aug. 5, 1924 Graff Feb. 17, 1931 Tittle Dec. 1, 1931 Brindley Apr. 25, 1933 Meyer et al. May 25, 1937 Brook Sept. 3, 1940 Draeger Feb. 9, 1943 Sloan Oct. 3, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Sept. 16, 1935 Number 

